State of the art optimal energy dispatch in virtual generation plants based on dynamic power flows

Abstract

This document presents a review of research aimed at virtual generation plants and methodologies to include this new concept in the electrical power systems. The stochastic nature and randomness of nonconventional renewable energy sources creates problems in the planning of energy dispatch. To determine the joint operation of the different renewable energy sources (distributed generation units), the concept of virtual power plants has been developed. Virtual power plants consider in their formation, unconventional renewable energy sources and at least one conventional generation plant, the same that is used to generate the minimum energy that is required in the market. Therefore, to establish optimal criteria for dispatching electric power in a virtual power plant, it is proposed to address the problem through dynamic power flow considering the respective economic and technical restrictions of electrical power systems.